


You Want Thingamabobs?

by BeenAsleepFor70Years



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid, And in Tony, But not the Avengers, Iron Man exists, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Modern Day, No 3 day limit, Steve is interested in Human Technology, lots of fluff, merman steve, with later butt stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-01-06 10:08:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeenAsleepFor70Years/pseuds/BeenAsleepFor70Years
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is a proud captain of an undersea army of merfolk and wouldn't have it any other way. That is, until strange objects start to fall into the ocean... including a metal human?!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Steve Rogers was a loyal soldier. Being a respected captain over an army below the waves was more than enough to keep him content. He was good at it, despite being considered "young" for the job. He was a excellent strategist and has led his men in and out of many successful missions. His life was well occupied and fulfilling. Until strange objects started to appear in the water.

They would come randomly, drifting down into the water from the world above. When Steve wasn't busy with his more serious military duties, he would go to investigate the objects. They fascinated him. They were so different from the objects they had in the ocean. He started to go looking for these objects any chance he got and had started to collect the ones that fascinated him the most. One object he found sparked his interest in particular one day.

He saw the object floating down heavily into the water. It was the size and shape of a human. He knew humans couldn't breath underwater like he and his people could, so Steve went swimming up in hopes of saving it before something bad happened. When he grabs onto the "human", it feels different. It was made of a harder material and had a brilliant blue glow coming from the middle of the upper body. And it was extremely heavy.

In Steve's opinion, A human is a human no matter what they are made of (or how heavy). He struggles to pull the body up to the surface, but manages to drag it up to the nearest beach. Steve sets the body in the sand, on its back and as gently as he possibly could. He examined the human, its body was red and gold (which Steve found strange for what he had heard about humans) and there was a blue light shining bright from its chest. That is what mystified Steve the most. He had never saw anything like it before. 

Steve reaches out to touch the light, but is halted by a hissing sound. The face of the body started to come off, slowly rising and then just breaking off completely. Steve worries at first and grabs the face that had fallen off, only to find that there was an actual face that had been hidden behind it.

This face looked more like a real human. The body must be some sort of armor then? Steve looked closer at the face and checked for any signs of the human being alive. God, he hoped it was. He placed his ear extremely close to the nose. He heard slight breathing noise coming from it. The human was alive, just unconscious. Steve sighed in relief. He doesn't know what he would of done if the human had... Well, Steve just didn't want to think about it. As he pulled back, he turned and got a better look at the human.

It was a man, that much Steve could gather. He had small tufts of dark hair poking out of where the armor covered the rest of his head. He had some interestingly-cut facial hair too. Steve reached out and traced along the edges of the facial hair absentmindedly. He looked back up at the man's closed eyes. The man had long eyelashes, but more importantly he looked absolutely peaceful. This was a stark contrast to how humans were described under the waves. They were cruel monsters who did nothing but cause trouble and would cook up fish folk and eat them if they caught them, absolutely uncaring creatures. Steve didn't know about how the man was when he was conscious, but right now he seemed as if he would never hurt anything. At least, not intentionally.

Steve snapped out of his thoughts when he saw the man start to stir. He knew he couldn't let the human see him. He had to leave fast, before the man's eyes opened. Steve quickly grabbed onto the armor face that had broken off and darted into the water, just as the man started to open his eyes. Steve swam behind a cluster of rocks and kept an eye on the man's actions when he fully regained consciousness.

The man yelled, nothing in particular but the noise was loud. It was probably out of shock of what happened. The armor seemed to peel off of the man's body as he jolted upward. His face was set in a look of confusion and anxiety as he quickly looked around in all directions for... Actually, Steve didn't think the man was even sure what he was looking for. He was breathing frantically and clutching his chest. After a minute the man's chest rose and fell normally, his breathing now steady. He let his hand fall the sand as he tried to relax.

Steve's eyes seem to sparkle as he saw the blue light still shining from the man's chest. So it was a part of the man and not the armor? Did all humans have lights? What exactly was it for? So many questions Steve wanted to ask but couldn't, given his biological differences to humans. He wouldn't even be able to get anywhere without army crawling everywhere, and that gets exhausting after a while. So he had to settle with what he had for now. It wasn't much really, but it was more than he had before. Steve clutched onto his "souvenir" and swam back down into the waters, planning to add this new discovery to his collection.

\-----------------------------------------

Steve swam back home towards his secret little cavern, clutching tightly to his new souvenir and hoping no one would notice him. He quickly moved the rock covering the entrance and sneaked inside of his cavern. He was about to uncover his souvenir to study it closer, but stopped in his tracks as he heard someone clear their throat.

"Captain Rogers."

Steve turned to see a familiar mermaid staring back at him. Her brunette hair flowed gently in the water, but her eyes and tail fin both twitched with irritation. Steve straightened his back, not showing any signs of being intimidated. He looked back at the brunette and curtly nodded.

"Agent Carter.".

The mermaid sighed at the captain.

"Where were you today, exactly?"  
She looked down at the object in Steve's hands. "And what exactly is that thing?"

Steve swam over to place his finding on one of the shelves and replied. 

"I was performing an impromptu rescue mission, which was a success by the way. And I think that is a mask of some sort. For armor or something.".

"A rescue mission?" the Agent Carter inquired. "What distressed fishfolk were in trouble today?"

Steve nervously grinned and chuckled.  
"Weeeell," he said "it wasn't exactly fishfolk that I rescued..."

Agent Carter gave Steve a shocked look.

Steve sighed.

"Peggy, don't look at me like--"

"A human, Steve? You went and rescued a HUMAN?!"

Steve looked back at the mermaid.

"Peggy, just listen for a second--"

"Don't tell me to listen right now! You know we aren't supposed to interact with humans in any way, shape, or form!".

Despite all the aggression being thrown around at the moment, Steve kept his voice low and quiet.

"He was drowning, Peg. Right in front of me. Now, human or not, I am supposed to help and protect people that I see in need. And regardless of that being my job, that is just how I react in those situation anyways. You of all people know that.".

Peggy calmed herself, sighing heavily before speaking.

"You're right, I do know that. You just better hope that Fury doesn't find out about this mishap. He already wants to fillet you for today..."

Steve looked back at Peggy, confused.

"Why? What happened today".

Peggy returned his look with one of worry.

"I'm guessing you forgot about the medal ceremony in front of a lot of officials that happened today?".

Steve's face dropped. He had forgotten. He covered his face with his hand and groaned.

"Oh jeez, Fury _is_ gonna fillet me..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT LIVES! 
> 
> Sorry for such a late update. I had been going through college and had lost A LOT of motivation to write anything...  
> BUT NOW I AM FREE AND HAVE SOME MOTIVATION BACK!!!
> 
> So enjoy this chapter! More chapters will start to be posted more regularly! :D

"I set this ceremony up, months in advance, to make sure you wouldn't by some off chance miss it. And what do you do?"

"Fury, I--"

"You miss it, Rogers. You miss it and leave myself and several important neighboring tribe officals to sit here without so much as a clue when you are going to show up." Fury said cooly, his obsidian tail however twitching in clear irritation. "I know you're young and need your own time now and again, but you have never been one to bail on something important business-wise."

Steve gave a sigh, nodding knowingly before speaking.

"I'm sorry, sir. I missed it for a legitimate reason, though. I promise. Someone was in trouble. I couldn't stand by and do nothing." He explained.

Fury's good eye twitched in amusement, not averting his gaze on the captain. 

"What sort of trouble was in our sector? There were no reports of merfolk in danger today."

The blond bit his bottom lip for a moment in thought, bracing himself for what was sure to be a scolding.

"Well, it wasn't really a merfolk. It was--"

"If you say 'a human' Rogers, I swear to Poseidon--"

"He was drowning, what was I supposed to do?" Steve insisted, an edge to his voice.

"Let it drown!" Fury said sternly. "Of all people, you should know the rules of our interaction with humans. There are none whatsoever. I shouldn't remind you of Barnes, should I?"

Steve tensed for a moment, his chest panging at the thought of his dearest friend. Bucky had gone to investigate a human interaction off the coast, a short swim away, then return. It had been almost a year now, and he has never returned.

"We don't know for sure it was humans." He said softly.

"But you don't doubt the possibility." Fury finished in a low tone. "The only ones I have ever seemed to encounter are nothing but barbarians. So I don't doubt the bulk majority of them are the same. The odds of finding a decent one are too low to risk the loss of one of my best men."

Steve looked up at Fury, a small huff in acknowledgement. Although the merman had many rough edges, he looked out for Steve like a father. He simply wanted what he thought was best for the youth.

"Now then," Fury continued at a normal tone, "Don't be going towards any more humans. Is that understood, Captain?"

The blond looked at the other for a moment, thoughts buzzing in his head as he responded. 

"Understood." Steve said with a nod before being OK'ed to leave. With a strong flick of his tail, he swam out of the chamber.

Fury pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out an exasperated sigh as is right-hand-merman swam up beside him with an expression to match.

"You know he'll still gravitate towards them." The other said more as a statement than a question.

"That I do know, Phil... That I do know."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As expected, Steve did swim towards the humans. Well, towards that specific armor-clad human. Specifically towards where he left him in the sand. The armor was too interesting not to try and see again. And that blue light... Beautiful. It was something Steve would only think of in dreams and marvel at the thought.

He had to see it again.

As he swam the direction he remembered, he spotting something sinking in the water once more. Upon closer look, it was another human.

Wait, no. That face... It was that of the armored human! He was just without the armor this time. but was still sinking down.

Steve gave a hard swish of his tail to propel himself forward quickly, stopping beside the human to loop an arm around him and propelling upwards in order to surface. He worked quickly to get the lighter form of the human to the shore, plopping him on the sand once he managed to make it.

"I can't keep doing this, human. They'll have my gills if they knew I was her with ya." Steve panted lightly, eyes locking on the gorgeous blue light once more. Something shook him out of his gaze however before too long, sending a startled shiver down his spine.

_"So it was you!"_


	3. Chapter 3

"So it was you!"

Tony's voice was slightly hoarse from the breathing apparatus he had slipped down his throat prior, coughing slightly as he retrieved it.

"Ugh, gross." He huffed at the saliva coated object, tossing it away as he sat up to meet the prior-saviour behind that voice. What he was met with was not what he anticipated. Pleasantly surprised to say the least.

He was met with a gorgeous, blond, muscular, -did he mention gorgeous?- man, bright blue eyes that rivaled the color of the ocean itself. The human's eyes naturally gravitated lower, doing a slight double take as hipbones almost made a perfect gradient into scales.

"That's actually a really good makeup effect. You one of those 'professional mermaids' who do underwater photoshoots and stuff?" The man asked curiously, only to be met with confusion from those beautiful baby blues.

"Fo-toe... what?" The blond asked, completely clueless.

"Can I touch it? What material is it made of?" Tony asked, carefully reaching out towards the 'tail'. He was only met with quick recoil.

"Don't pluck my scales!" The blond nearly growled. 

Tony eased back in response, hands up in defense.

"Hey, I'm not gonna pluck. I just wanted to feel." He admitted. "I won't if you don't want me to."

The blond looked back at him defensively for a moment, then glanced at Tony's chest before speaking softly.

"I'll let you touch my tail if I can see your light." He offered, crossing his arms seriously.

Tony reached for the reactor out of habit, covering it with his hand defensively.

"So it really was you. If you know about 'my light'." He said almost reluctantly. "The ol' 'show me yours, I'll show you mine', huh? Looking is fine, just-- no touching it. And I get to feel the material first."

The blond nodded carefully, visibly trying not to flinch away as Tony touched gently.

The dark haired man was in awe at the texture, running his fingers up and down inquisitively. Up was rough, down was smooth, and the scales refracted light in many shades of blue. He ran his hands over the opaque fins on the side with a soft hum.

"They feel so real. Like an actual fish. Not bad."

The blond tilted his head in slight confusion at the comment.

"But they are real. They're my scales. My fins. My...me." He explained, leaving Tony to chuckle.

"Yeah, okay. It's a real tail. And you're a real merman." Tony laughed, stopping as he felt where the crease would be. Would be, being the key word. It was one solid connection; skin to scale with no stop in between.

Tony sat back in the sand in awe, just staring at the appendage in disbelief.

"You're a real merman... I was rescued by a merman. Something that shouldn't exist." He croaked out. "I definitely swallowed too much saltwater. I'm hallucinating."

"Well I wouldn't doubt the saltwater part, but you're not hallucinating about me. I am really here. Really real." The merman replied, flicking his tail gently against the tide lapping at the shore. "Now, can I see? You agreed."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, just--" Tony sputtered gently, trying to carefully lift his soaked shirt up enough to show the other the reactor. The blue of its light illuminated the dusk lightly, reflecting off the merman's eyes which gazed in admiration.

After a short while, the blond spoke once more.

"Do humans have names?"

Tony let out a slightly nervous chuckle before nodding in response.

"Yes we do. And this human's name is Tony." He admitted with a small smile.

The merman smiled back carefully, looking 'Tony' in the eyes.

"And this merman's name is Steve."


	4. Chapter 4

"So you could breathe the whole time?" Steve said carefully, raising a brow at the human. From what he knew, humans didn't do that in water.

"Uh, only this time because I had a source of oxygen. The first time I was really drowning." Tony admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "I was wanting to replicate drowning to see if I could find my 'hero' again. And here you are. I just didn't think you were a mythical creature. A fairy tale."

Steve was unsure what a fairy tale was, but he assumed it had to do something with him supposedly not being real.

Tony chuckled, stretching his legs out and wiggling his toes.

"These past two days have been weird, and I have seen some weird thiiIIING-- hey!" The genius laughed, feet twitching as Steve played with them. "That tickles!"

"What are they?" Steve asked curiously, smirking at the reaction and doing it again. "Are these humans' fins? They don't seem very helpful in swimming, huh?"

Tony laughed again at the sensation, yanking away and trying to keep a cool composure.

"These are called feet, not fins. They help us stand on land along with these little puppies." Tony explained, warily wiggling his toes again. "They are toes. The feet and toes attach to the legs and knees and that's how we can walk."

Steve watched carefully, really tempted to reach out and grab the feet again if it got Tony to laugh like that. It was infectious.

"Walk, huh? So like land-swimming?"

The human held back a chuckle, but nodded.

"Yes, Steve. Like land swimming." He grinned.

Steve sufficed with that answer, resting his head in his hands on the shore. Tony simply thought that made for a wonderful mental photograph.

"Wish I could try walking sometime." The captain hummed, before shaking his head in frustration. "Oh, what am I doing? I am not supposed to be talking to you or any other humans for that matter."

"But?" Tony asked, raising a brow.

"But?" Steve echoed "But I find human stuff... interesting. So different than what I am used to. It floats down sometimes and I collect it and just... I find joy and peace in it, y'know?"

The genius hummed softly, listening to the merman's words and feeling a tug at his heartstrings with the way those blue eyes looked when filled with a longing look.

"I'll tell you what." Tony said carefully, looking Steve in the eyes. "If you come to visit me here each day unless I say otherwise, I will show you and teach you about different human things. In return, I ask you about merman stuff and you satiate my curiosity. Deal?"

Tony stuck his hand out for a shake in agreement, which Steve took without a second thought and with a grin.

"Deal!"

"Deal." Tony mimicked warmly, standing up on his feet. "I'll meet you here, say, tomorrow afternoon? When the sun is out and warm and I won't catch cold or worse?"

Steve nodded frantically, looking a bit bashful.

"It is cold out here, I guess. Sorry." He apologized carefully.

"Don't be sorry." The human said, waving off the apology. "It meant I got to meet the guy who saved my ass from drowning and actually got to have an interesting conversation with someone. You're definitely something special, Steve."

With that and a soft smile, Tony leaned down to lay a quick kiss against the merman's lips, pulling away with a smirk and a wink.

"You are adorable flustered. See you tomorrow, Steve. Its a date." The man hummed, waving as he walked away.

Steve watched for the moment, still in slight shock and ghosting fingers over his lips as the kiss still tingled on his lips. A small, dopey grin started to grow on his lips, but he tried forcing it back.

What had he gotten himself into?


	5. Chapter 5

Luckily, Steve's people were in a time of peace. This meant he had his own means of a vacation for a while. This made it much easier to go and visit Tony without too many questions and him getting in trouble.

Today was their third meeting since they agreed to actually, well, meet. Tony had taught him about the small things first, like shoes that covered their feet like armor and cell phones which let them communicate with humans, even if they were far away. Today though, Tony was talking about robots.

"So they are little, metal people?" Steve asked excitedly, flicking his tail gently in the air

Tony chuckled softly, watching the tail in amusement.

"Yeah, something like that. They could be made into anything really, if you know how to do it." He explained. "I have a few of my own, and they all have their own personalities. There's DUM-E, U, Butterfingers, and JARVIS-- I wish I could bring some of them for you to meet..."

"But?" Steve responded, looking up at Tony carefully.

"But they aren't something I can bring out to the beach." The genius said sadly, eyeing the merman's pout. Those faces were sure to tug at his heartstrings no matter what.

Steve sighed, fiddling with bits of sand on the ground.

"I want to be able to meet them. To see all these things you talk about. Explore with you up here."The blond explained longingly. "But I'd need legs. And I am unable to just grow a pair."

Tony resisted the urge to chuckle at that last statement. The whole experience was something Steve really wanted, and even though he had only known the merman a short time, Tony wanted to give him everything.

He placed a hand on top of Steve's, looking sincerely into those baby blues.

"We can work together. Find a way for you to explore up here, somehow." The human said with a soft smile. "I want to be able to show you these things, so I will try and find a way. Try and make something for you to come up here with me, unless you happen to find some other weird, mermaid way of doing things."

Steve looked up to Tony with a thankful smile, leaning in to place a small kiss on the human's lips as Tony had their first meeting.

"You're adorable flustered." He teased, smirking at the other playfully and earning a laugh from the human. "I have to go, but I'll come back tomorrow. Promise."

Steve started to scoot back into the deeper water, before Tony stopped him with a question.

"Hey," He started, "when you found me the first time, did you happen to see a piece of armor that looked like a face lying around?"

The blond looked back nervously, looking away from Tony.

"Uh... no. Nope! Okay, bye!" Steve said quickly, diving into the water and swimming away.

Tony smirked, shaking his head with a small chuckle. Thanks to the camera in the face plate, he knew where it was. He just wanted to ruffle Steve's scales a little.  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Steve had an idea. It swam around his head like crazy as he tried to sleep that night, not leaving him be. He knew it was wrong and dangerous, crazy even, but he knew it was his best bet if it came to visiting Tony on the surface.

He had to go meet him. The warlock who lived in the outskirts of their sector. It was his only way.

In the dead of the night, Steve packed a few mementos to take with him in his satchel. He wanted to have something to remember Peggy, Fury, ... and Bucky by in case he didn't return to the sea for a long time. He would miss them, but this was something he needed to do.

Steve looked around carefully before leaving his cavern, swimming almost all night until he reached the grotto told to belong to the Warlock Johann.

As he lingered slightly at the entrance, the blond heard a voice echoing from inside the grotto.

"Ah, the great captain... I've been expecting you. Do come in."

Slightly hesitant, the merman made his way inside, trying to ignore the warlocks, um, 'decor choices' in many skulls embedded in the walls. When he made it inside, he was greeted by a dark figure, the figure's face a vibrant red contrast to the rest of his body.

"I am honored you would come to me for such a task, captain. Truly." The Warlock preened.

"I... I haven't even told you why I am here." Steve said carefully, keeping eyes locked on the other.

"No need to. I feel it." Johan said with a wicked smirked. "You've been visiting with a human, naughty boy. And now you wish to join him on the surface. You tell yourself it is only to explore, but there is another reason growing inside you, isn't there?"

Steve stood his ground, not admitting it of course, but it was a wonder that this creature knew.

"So then, are you capable of helping me?"

"Of course." The creature chuckled. "It is very simple, but comes at a cost. The longer you wish to stay, the bigger the cost."

"How much would it cost me for the summer?" The merman asked, knowing the summer season would be starting shortly. It seemed the perfect time to explore and enjoy the warmth of the land.

Johann's wicked grin grew wider at the thought, knowing what he could grab would help his power and cause a bump in the merman's attempt to win the human over.  
"It will cost you your voice and your brawn. But you will get to explore with the human for the 3 months of summer." He stated darkly. "But in this time, if you cannot find a true reason to keep you on land, then I'll get to keep your voice, brawn, ... and _you._ "

Steve started for a moment, confused.

"And me? What do you mean?"

"You'll become my slave. Unable to return to your friends or to visit your precious human again."

The merman stay silent for the moment in thought. He and Tony were off to a great start, and three months had to be enough to be able to find something to keep him tethered to the land. 

Steve nodded carefully, give a serious and stern look.

"You have a deal, Johann."  
Johann grinned, sharp teeth reflecting blue light as the warlock pulled out a cube-shaped artifact. 

A stream of light quickly enveloped Steve, his throat burning in pain as he felt his voice leave it. His vision blurred as he felt he couldn't breathe and his body felt as if it were being torn in two.

_"Have fun..."_ Was the last thing he heard before everything went black...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Another chapter in before work today! I know these chapters are a bit short, its how I am able to work the story out as I go, so I hope you enjoy regardless!
> 
> And comments are always appreciated, by the by!

_"Steve?! Steve, is that-- What the hell--?"_

Tony ran a stressed hand through his hair, observing the sight in front of him. He was sure it was Steve because of the face, but the rest of the body washed up on the beach was very off-putting.

Steve's frame was skinny and looked like he could break if you touched him. The most miraculous thing though was that he had legs, and was very naked, save for the bag barely clinging to his shoulders.

"When you said I would see you again, I didn't think you meant like this." The dark haired human said with worry in his voice, exhaling in relief when he saw the other man stir awake. "Oh, thank God, you're breathing."

The blond tried to lean up on his hands, faltering a little and causing Tony to grab him in reaction.

"Hey, take it easy. Slow." Tony soothed, helping the man sit up on the sand. "Now, what the hell happened to you? You have legs and you're a lot smaller since I saw you last. Been dieting? Because I think you went too far." He joked, trying to ease his tension a bit.

When Steve's lips started to move, but no words came out, Tony gave him a serious look.

"Are you serious? Did you pull a freakin' 'Little Mermaid'? Steve, why would-- Look, we can figure this out when we get you inside and in some clothes." the genius explained in aggravation, helping the man on his feet. "Lets get you walking, huh?"

The first few tries was almost like watching a fawn trying to stand on its own, but eventually they got to standing and taking baby steps. About halfway through, Steve had tapped on Tony's shoulder. The blond had been looking down at his legs the majority of the time, a confused look on his face. He tilted his head in questioning, holding up three fingers.

It took Tony a second before he had to suppress a sputter.

"No, Steve. Not three legs, I promise. Look, I'll explain things soon. First, inside and clothes."  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Steve sat on what Tony called a couch, waiting for the other man to stop pacing. He had been given some clothes to wear, a bit baggy on him but they kept him covered and warm. Tony was rattling on about something, but the blond was too preoccupied with his _legs._ His _actual legs_! He kicked them back and forth gently, wiggling his toes now and then with pure glee.

"Steve? Are you even listening?"

The blond looked up at Tony, a guilty expression overtaking his face as he shook his head no.

Tony sighed and looked to him gently.

"Listen, I know you are excited, but I have to try and figure some things out so we can work with this situation here." He said carefully. "So, how long do you have?"

Steve went and held up three fingers again, and Tony's face about went white.

"3? Please don't tell me that means 3 days."

Steve shook his head no.

"3 weeks? No. Okay, months?"

A nod in response.

"Okay. 3 months. 3 months, we can work with. That's a whole season." Tony sighed in relief, plopping down next to Steve on the couch with a sigh.

"I just can't believe you went and got yourself into this mess just to see land." Tony said softly. "Well, maybe I can. That light in your eyes before when talking about it said everything."

Steve smirked up at Tony at the comment, before giving a small yawn. He curled his legs up onto the couch and snuggled up into Tony's side before shutting his eyes sleepily.

Tony's mouth twitched a smirk as he settled into the weight against him.

"Okay, I get the hint. We'll worry about it all after some rest."


	7. Chapter 7

After about an hour long nap, Steve woke softly, glancing up to see Tony smiling at him.

"Evening, sleepy gills. Get you a power nap?" He asked quietly, Steve nodding in response. "Good, you looked pooped after we got you from the beach. You hungry?"

The blond thought for a moment, his stomach deciding to answer instead with a loud growl. Steve gave a bashful grin, placing a hand over his stomach.

"That answers my question." Tony chuckled. "Then first thing, we'll get you introduced to human food. I'm assuming fish is out of the question, so I'll order us some pizzas. One of my favorites, and I don't have to cook." The man explained, pulling out his phone to call in the order.

Steve wriggled slightly on the couch happily, excited to try human food! He didn't know what exactly pizza was or what cooking is, but he figured if Tony liked it,then it must be good. As long as it was better than krill and seaweed.

Once Tony was off the phone, he offered a hand to help Steve off the couch.

"While we wait, I want you to meet some friends." The human smiled, helping Steve walk around and down the stairs to another room. It was made of glass and was dark on the inside until Tony got the door to open.

Lights turned on one by one, brightening the room and showing various things inside made out of metal that Steve didn't know what to make of just yet.

"Welcome to my workshop. You should be honored. Few get to step foot in this place." Tony teased with a wink, pulling up a stool for Steve to sit on before he stepped closer to the middle of the room.

"Butterfingers! U! DUM-E! Daddy brought a friend for you to meet!" He called out, three metal masses starting to move around and whir. One started to roll forward before Tony tutted.

"DUM-E, you will put down that fire extinguisher before you say hello. We don't want to scare our friend here."

DUM-E whirred dejectedly, but did as he was told before rolling his way over to Steve. The bot examined the man with curious beeping noises, moving his crane out gently towards the blond.

Unsure exactly what to do, Steve moved a hand out to gently pet the bot's crane. This earned him some happy little beeps, a smile growing on his lips in response.

"See? He likes you!" Tony said happily, giving the bot a pet himself. "If DUM-E approves, you couldn't be bad. Not that I thought you were, but..."

He was just not going to finish that sentence.

"Anyway, these are the ones you can physically meet, but I would like you to wave hello to JARVIS."

" _A pleasure to meet you, Steve Rogers. I'd hope that if you were able to speak, it would be likewise._ " A voice resonated into the room, making Steve jump and be on the alert.

"Easy! Its okay, Steve." The genius stated, resting hands on Steve's shoulders to calm him down. "JARVIS is just Artificial Intelligence. He doesn't have an actual form, but he has a voice. So he can see you, but you can't see him. He keeps an eye on everything for me."

A voice without a body? Peculiar. But it helped watch over Tony and keep him safe, Steve hoped. This helped the blond relax more from the initial defensiveness, giving Tony a small smile.

Tony smiled back, patting Steve's shoulder before letting go.

"I would never introduce you to something that could hurt you Steve. I promise." He assured, hearing the doorbell soon after. "And that would be the pizza! Good, I'm starving, aren't you? We can visit them again tomorrow. Now we eat!"  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Steve decided that pizza was the best thing he had ever tasted that night. 

It was tasty and warm-- Well, hot at first since it originally burned his mouth trying to eat it, but once it cooled a bit it was wonderful. Tony also showed him how to actually drink something, which started with water then sips of juices and a drink called soda. Then Tony had explained how to use the bathroom, since it apparently was something that had to be done fairly often as a human. Especially after eating.

He learned a lot today, although it was a short day, but now it was time to sleep.

Tony was leading him to where he would get to sleep while he stayed in the man's home, a spacious room with a special sleeping rock called a bed.

It was the best thing he had ever laid his body on.

Steve enveloped himself in the pillows and blankets, a content grin plastered on his face.

"Pretty great, right?" Tony chuckled, seeing Steve's enjoyment. "And I get some of the best beds. I accept no less."

He reached over to brush Steve's bangs out of his face, giving him a small smirk.

"My bedroom is just the next door over, if you need anything. If I am not there, then I am in the workshop most likely." The man explained. "JARVIS can always help you too, if need help, okay? Sleep tight, Aqua Man~" He teased before heading out of the room.

Steve couldn't help the light blush that grew on his cheeks. Tony was being far too nice to him for his own good. Taking him in and showing him all these things... Steve was very thankful.

He buried himself into the pillows and blankets, happily and easily settling into the comfort and falling asleep...


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise I didn't take another few year hiatus from the story! X,D
> 
> Work has just had me super busy, and hasn't left me much time to write. So this chapter is a little longer to make up for it :,D

Early morning sunlight poked through the room windows, a stray beam shining down on Steve's face gently. The light caused the blond to stir, waking slowly with a silent hum. He stretched his new limbs with small pops leaving his bones, being able to wiggle toes causing him to smile.

He stumbled lightly towards the bathroom, taking care of his morning business before he would head out to find Tony. Before he left the bathroom however, Steve stopped as he caught his new reflection.

_Is this really me?_ Steve asked himself, examining his thinner frame. He was much smaller. Far shorter, which he was sure wasn't because of his lack of a tail. Any muscle he had before was completely gone, his face looking well rested but slim. 

_Johann really did a number on ya, huh Rogers?_

The blond shook his head, straightening up his mess of hair with his hands before venturing out to find Tony.

_"Sir can be found down in his workshop, Steve."_ JARVIS had chimed in, still spooking the merman at the sound. _"He has been waiting for you to awaken for the past 45 minutes. He wishes to share something with you."_

Steve nodded softly, a bit surprised as he traveled downwards to the workshop. Tony had something to share this early? The blond pondered what it could be to himself as he entered Tony's domain, the brunet greeting him with an excited grin.

"Steve! Just the man I wanted to see!" Tony chuckled, ushering the blond over. "C'mere, I want you to try something for me. I promise it won't hurt." He assured, holding out a device that looked almost like some sort of collar.

With careful steps, Steve walked over towards the man, giving Tony a curious look as he clipped the device around his neck.

"Not bad." The genius murmured, adjusting small knobs on the side of the device for a moment. "Okay, now I want you to try and say something for me."

The blond gently brushed the device with his fingers, raising an eyebrow at the other before following through.

'My voice was taken, I can't-- Oh my Neptune...' Steve tried saying, the words being projected through the device. The voice sounded similar to his before he traded it over, Tony grinning wider at the sound.

"Yes! I love when things work out. Now we can hold a conversation instead of you being mute the whole summer." Tony said thankfully, sending Steve a quick wink.

'How did you do this?' Steve asked bewildered. 'And how does it sound almost like me?'

"I'm glad you asked." Tony hummed happily, standing from his workstool. "It measures the vibrations from your vocal chords and projects it almost like a voice box would normally. The way it sounds almost identical to your voice? It has to do with the vibrations as well." He explained.

"Long story short," Tony continued, "its a mechanical replacement voice box. Chalk it up for the 'Little Mermaid Loophole'." The man grinned triumphantly.

Steve gave an appreciative smile back, a light blush to his face. Tony did this just so they could still communicate. Who knows how long the man had been awake to make it.

'Thank you, Tony. This is brilliant. It about killed me not being able to say anything.' Steve said with a grateful sigh. 'I mean, I would've endured, since it was my decision to trade my voice... but I am glad I have a second chance so I can communicate with you.' He finished happily.

_'Urgh, that smile will be the end of me...'_ Tony thought to himself. Steve's smile did things to him that he wasn't sure he liked just yet.

"You're very welcome, Steve." The genius replied nonetheless, about to speak again when JARVIS interrupted.

_"Sir, Ms. Potts is on her way down."_ The AI announced, Tony's expression dropping slightly. How would he explain Steve?

'Ms. Potts? Is she a friend of yours?' Steve asked curiously, turning towards the door as the sound of heels clacking against the floor drew louder until a woman with strawberry-blonde hair arrived in the doorway.

"Tony, I have a few stock predictions to discuss regarding our green energy movement-- Oh. Hello." The woman stopped, looking at Steve in slight surprise with papers in hand.

Steve glanced back at Tony to see the man trying to hide nervousness before turning back towards the woman he presumed to be Ms. Potts. He straightened his posture and gave the woman a respectful nod in greeting.

'Ma'am.'

Ms. Potts gave a small smile in acknowledgement, then looking over Steve's shoulder at Tony with narrow eyes.

"I didn't know Tony had a friend over. Its been quite a while since I have stumbled upon one here without him mentioning it, as well." She spoke with a bit of aggravation in her tone.

"I'm a grown man, Pepper. I can have friends over." Tony scoffed without much heat behind it. "Besides, he isn't one of those kind of friends. I've gotten to know him over this past week and a half, and he is hanging around to visit."

_One of those friends?_ Steve thought, looking between the two of them. _What did that even mean?_

"Well then, when did you plan to introduce us, Tony?" The strawberry-blonde hummed, her expression softening towards Steve as she held out a hand for a shake. "I'm Pepper Potts. CEO of Stark Industries and a close friend of Tony's."

Steve was a bit nervous as he grasped the woman's hand back, not letting her see the nerves however. He could tell Pepper was trying to intimidate him with the titles she gave, but he didn't let it phase him.

'Captain Steve Rogers.' He replied back with a soft smile, giving a firm shake of hands. 'Its a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Potts.'

"Great. Everyone has met and no yelling involved." Tony stated, moving towards the two and jostling Steve's shoulder gently. "Hey Steve, why don't you keep DUM-E occupied while I talk to Pepper for a moment, huh?"

Steve looked back at the man carefully, taking the hint and wandering over to the other side of the room to play with the bot.

Once Steve was a distance away, Pepper looked to Tony and started to communicate with a hushed yell.

"What are you doing, Tony? Who is this kid and why is he in your house calling himself a captain?"

"Pepper, look, its a really long story, and honestly I don't think you would believe me." Tony responded with careful sigh, earning a stern look from the woman. "He is a captain though, although he doesn't look like it right now. He's sort of a 'Little Mermaid' case."

Pepper gave him a confused look, brows furrowed.

"Little--What? What is that supposed to even mean, Tony?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, Pep. You've seen the movie right? Read the story?" He murmured, glancing over at Steve for a moment. "He was the one who pulled me out of the water when I was shot out of the sky. I know he doesn't look it, he looks a lot different than when I met him, but he's... He just wanted to see land. What it was like to be human."

"Are you trying to tell me he is a mermaid?" Pepper said disbelievingly, crossing her arms. "I know we've seen aliens and gods, but mermaids? Really, Tony?"

"Merman. He is clearly male." Tony corrected, pulling up a screen with video from his face plate. It was from when Steve had it in his grotto, the merman swimming around his collection happily. "This is him before, by the way. _That_ could definitely lift me."

Peppered eyeballed the screen, observing the face specifically. She gave a sigh, looking at Tony carefully with a protective air about her.

"Just don't let him be giving you trouble, Tony. You keep me in touch." She warned, kissing his cheek. "I'll leave these papers with you to go through. Let you spend time with your... friend. But I expect you to explain this all to me in more detail later."

She turned towards Steve's direction, giving him a small wave.

"Nice to meet you, Steve. Next time, maybe we can chat more." Pepper said with a small hum. "Don't let Tony cause you any trouble."

'I'll keep him in check.' Steve said with a small grin. 'Its a pleasure, Ms. Potts.'

"I'm a perfect angel, no worries." Tony smirked, giving Pepper a quick hug before she'd leave. "I'll call later. We'll schedule a lunch together and chat." He explained, waving as the woman left the room.

Steve looked at Tony carefully, wringing his fingers together carefully as he walked back over to the brunet.

'What kind of friend did Pepper think I was?' The blond asked curiously, unfamiliar to what she had meant with the way she had said the word.

"Uh, well not really a friend." Tony said carefully, rubbing at his chest where the arc reactor laid. "I used to have people over a lot. I may not know them, but I didn't care. Sometimes they stayed the night but left the next day. Pepper had saw many of those pass through over the years, so she assumed I was probably back to my old ways..."

Tony was quiet for a moment, unable to believe he so easily just admitted that all to Steve. Maybe because Steve had no judgement towards him like everyone else. It made him easier to talk with.

"But you are different from that. You are an actual friend." The brunet admitted softly, clearing his throat before throwing an arm around Steve's shoulders and leading them out of the workshop.

"And as your friend/ guide to the human world, it is my honor to take you on your first shopping trip." Tony said with a grin. "We need to get you your own clothes if you are going to be staying here, and then we'll go from there."


End file.
